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For that reason alone, I could pretty much excuse him for whatever happened next. I wasn’t sure who I’d be without my kind and loving parents—the very folks who were still singing and clapping in the wings.
But Laney? She had nothing in her past that would make her crumble at a moment like this. So if she was gearing up to tell the whole world she was marrying Riley Conrad even though there wasn’t a lick of truth to it, I didn’t want to be around when it happened.
Without another word to evil Uncle Jim, I stalked away from the stage, pushing through the huge crowd toward the parking lot out front. I hadn’t parked out back with the crew because I’d planned to stay long after the show, and that was a choice I was regretting more than anything now. Because I’d only made it halfway through the throng of fans before Laney’s sweet voice filled the air.
20
LANEY
“Thank y’all for comin’ out to the show,” I said into the mic, waiting for their cheers to dial back a bit so they’d hear the rest. And they dang sure needed to, because I was seconds away from making the biggest declaration of my entire life, and I didn’t want anyone to miss a word of it.
This day had started out so good I’d had a hard time believing it was real. Paisley had helped me make sure the band knew the less-obnoxious versions of my songs we’d play during my set. The backup dancers were released and given a substantial payout and great references. The new boots I’d bought were comfy and felt at home on my feet. Everything was exactly how I wanted it, and I couldn’t have been more excited to have my first of many small-town concerts that would fit my new low-key brand.
And then Riley’s stupid uncle had taken a pin and burst my bubble with the most devious plan I’d ever heard of. And now here I was, halting all the fun to make an announcement that would change my life in more ways than I’d planned.
“I’m sorry to stop the music,” I said, even though my band did play softly in the background as was customary during a mid-show speech to the crowd. “But I have somethin’ amazin’ I wanna share with y’all, and I couldn’t think of a better way to do it than right here in my beautiful hometown.”
Cheers of excitement rang up from the crowd and I looked over at Riley with a nod of encouragement. Poor guy was doing a good job keeping his cool as his lips split into a wide smile, but I could tell he was sick about all this, just as I was.
Lucky for him, I wasn’t used to being pushed around by the likes of Jim Conrad, and I wasn’t about to start now. Besides, Riley was my friend, and now that Paisley would have less to do for me, I planned to see to it that she took over managing Riley’s career from here on out. That wicked uncle of his could take a long walk off a short pier for all I cared.
“As y’all know,” I went on, speaking clearly into the mic, “Riley and I have a long history.” I paused to wait for their applause again. “But right now, it’s important for y’all to hear it straight from us that our relationship is in a much different place now. We’re friends, and that’s all we’ll ever be.”
The sounds roaring from the crowd were a mixture of awkward applause or encouragement as well as hollers of dismay. I looked at the wide-eyed face of the man on the stage next to me and smiled in a way that I hoped would ease his mind a bit. He probably had a whole mess of questions, but there was no time. Paisley’d barely had time to tell me what Jim’s plan was before I’d jumped into action here, so for now, Riley needed to buckle up and go along for the ride.
“In fact,” I continued to our fans, “we’re such good friends that he knows all about how much I love another man. A man you all know and love almost as much as I do.”
As they reacted to that little tidbit, I searched the wings for Everett’s sweet face. I hadn’t seen him when I ran over to Paisley, but I’d been so distracted by her whispered news, I hadn’t had time to think about it. But where was he?
My family and the Wilsons looked around in a confused daze, but since I was well-accustomed to going on with the show in the midst of a snag or two, I faced the crowd again with a wide smile. “Y’all know Everett Wilson, of Wilson Automotive?”
The people in the crowd who hadn’t driven over from nearby states cheered and clapped, giving me their approval with shouts of praise for Everett. I caught sight of his friends near the front and waved at them, touched that they’d come for the show—and must’ve arrived early enough to get spots so close to the front even though we hadn’t invited more than our immediate families backstage.
I held the mic up again and walked over to squeeze Riley’s hand, and he squeezed it back with a bright smile that told me he supported what I was doing even if it meant he’d have to deal with all sorts of fallout.
“Y’all know Everett and I go way back, and as much as Riley and I care about each other, he’s always known my heart never really left Charlotte Oaks. So, whatever you might hear from the media or my label or anyone else, hear this from my own lips—I love Everett Wilson with my whole heart, and I love this town. So I’ve decided to move home. I’m gonna take a hiatus—” My words were cut off by a mess of outrage from the fans, but I couldn’t blame ’em too much. “I’m takin’ a break, but I promise I’ll never be done makin’ music. I’ll be back. In a new way, with a sound that’s truer to me, and I promise if you’re a fan of the real Laney Cole, I won’t let you down.”
This caused a fresh wave of happy applause from the fans, and I beamed at them, waving and blowing kisses. I took it in and enjoyed it because I had no earthly idea when I’d be back on another stage like this. But I did know one thing for sure: after the way this day had gone before Jim tried to ruin it, I knew it’d be a when and not an if.
With a final few words of thanks for their support, I hugged Riley and ran off the stage. Then I took off my guitar and handed it and the mic to a roadie before getting absolutely swarmed by the Coles and Wilsons. They hugged me so hard I couldn’t breathe, and when I finally resurfaced, I caught sight of Paisley at the bottom of the stairs with her arms going wild as she yelled her little head off. Jim Conrad stood before her and screamed back, and every hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
Oh, no you don’t.
I was conscious that Riley had begun singing an upbeat tune about dirt roads and pickup trucks and all that good stuff as I blasted down the stairs and off the stage. The Coles and Wilsons followed closely behind, including a leashed Gertie who no doubt wished she could go back up them stairs and down a few times just for good measure. That girl loved stairs, lemme tell ya.
“It’s done,” Paisley yelled when we reached them. “There’s nothing you can do about it now, so quit bein’ ugly. She’s told the whole world not to listen to anything other than what she said herself.”
Jim started to shoot back some kind of insult, but I held up my hand. “Jim, that was a nasty thing you tried to pull, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”
He smirked, turning to me with a look so full of contempt his teeth had teeth, but before he could say anything, my daddy—Lord, bless that man—gave Gertie a subtle command and let her off her leash.
21
LANEY
Gertie charged forward on her hind legs at an alarming speed, and if it hadn’t been such an otherwise tense situation, I woulda died laughing at the way she shook her little butt as she hopped over to him in what was supposed to be some kinda fighting pose.
Jim staggered backward, but Paisley stuck her foot out and made him fall right on his back, and Gertie took it as an invitation to pounce on his chest the same way she had when I’d first met her. Only Gertie didn’t stare intently at him like she was trying to figure out who he was and why he was in her house. She reared back on those hind legs again and stomped his throat with her front ones before lifting her head high.
